Player Watch #17 Maurice Rioli Jnr Re-Signed 2026

[acr2751]

FFS

lots of crazy posters going nuts over a kid showing disappointment in getting dragged

show our players some love for a change, i am sure our club will give him a hug and sort it out

 

[bc27]

Might be the best lesson he’ll learn from this.

It’s a non-issue to everyone else except the coaching staff and Rioli.

 

[Wooden Robot]

Poor game.
Poorer attitude and response.
Drop him next week and make him think about it.
Move on and fight back and make amends.

 

[Wooden Robot]

I believe our ex captain Trent made a very similar display earlier in the year after being subbed.
Is it ok for Trent to do it but not a young kid struggling to cement his spot in the team?

No it's not ok for Cotchin or anyone to do it.
And he should know better than Jr.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

Lets not overreact to it either (the calls to delist him over it are gross overreactions) it was a bad look but also fair enough he just didn't want to talk right at that momment. Plenty of other oppurtunities for the coaches to speak to him about it (after the game, at training etc).

SOmetimes its better to let people cool down before talking.

 

[Tiger2709]

Lets not overreact to it either (the calls to delist him over it are gross overreactions) it was a bad look but also fair enough he just didn't want to talk right at that momment. Plenty of other oppurtunities for the coaches to speak to him about it (after the game, at training etc).

SOmetimes its better to let people cool down before talking.

Its all about how he reacts from here on in, needs to work on a few things or he will be remembered as Maurice's son, which would be a shame.

 

[darcytiger]

 

[richoplzbreed]

People can't see the forest for the trees. The sooking is borderline irrelevant. What's not irrelevant is his form across all levels. Total of 2 goals both in round 1 (1 was a Joe the goose) none since. 14 games total for the season. None has he played remotely well.... But his bloody opponents are carving him up. He's missing shots from 15-20m out by miles barely scraping through for a point or missing altogether.

He can't hit a teammate from 15m away, can't mark, can't break free gets run down. And plenty of times the Brothers try bring him in the game but he constantly fluffs it. I would've loved to see Knights, Turner's, Lambert's, Broderick, Weightmans etc sons playing AFL in Yellow and Black but the club deemed them not up to scratch fair enough. HTF is MRJ getting deemed up to snuff when his 4 reserves games have been equally as putrid as his seniors games?

The penny may drop and he may become a player one day. But right now he should be grateful to be even getting a reserves game and probably embarrassed to be selected for seniors cos he's making Aarts, Castagna and Mansell look like Leigh Matthews. Difference being those players are hacks but desperate and played their ass off. MRJ is coasting on his dad's coat tails. He'd wanna show up first day of preseason without the gut and maybe some muscle definition and fitness under his belt.

People were happy to lay the boots into Patty Naish, he was dominating at reserves winning BnF's and finished 4th in the Frosty Miller/ Brownlow? Whilst missing a handful of games playing seniors. Can't remember Naish getting more than 2 games on the trot then dropped. MRJ is getting gifted the entire year cos he certainly hasn't bloody earnt it.

 

[peternorth]

I feel he feels nervous when he has the ball. Confused even. When there is superstars around him, he probably feels the need to give it to them.

akin to rodan next to richo

 

[59Stanley]

I understand it is a feast or famine role that he plays and he does do some 1% acts that are tremendous but when the time comes you have to make the most of it.
That goal he missed yesterday was so disappointing for him and us that want to see him succeed it was literally a soda.

 

[Aristotle Pickett]

It wasn't the coach on the phone so who cares.

 

[shaky]

Massive difference between the 2 don't you think.

Not really. A couple of still images don’t tell. The story. I did find an article and it said they weren’t even game to tell Cotch for 5-10 minutes.
I’m not saying it’s a great look, but would we be happy that he isn’t disappointed???
It’s how the coaching staff (and MRJ) handle it from here.
There is a lot of rubbish floating around in here (big surprise for Bigfooty!!), about what he is and isn’t doing.
I’m sure they would like some more output from MRJ in terms of possessions and scores, but his role (like that of Castagna previously) is also to create pressure, which he does. We don’t have a lot of other options in that department ATM.
Mansell was doing it well before he was suspended and I believe rightly at his current position had to come back through the VFL first. I expect he will come in for MRJ next week.
MRJ has had an interrupted year with injury, let’s hope he gets a good run for the rest of this year and a preseason and see how he goes next year before we give up on him.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

It wasn't the coach on the phone so who cares.

ivan: "its meehan, wants to know if you've done an injury, he sounds fully erect."

 

[Profop]

Imagine if he was sitting there after getting subbed and was laughing and joking around. I'm willing to bet the exact people on here potting him for being visibly upset would be potting him for not caring enough about his performance

At that point then it goes beyond the players actual actions and speaks more to certain poster's hang ups

 

[Meteoric Rise]

People can't see the forest for the trees. The sooking is borderline irrelevant. What's not irrelevant is his form across all levels. Total of 2 goals both in round 1 (1 was a Joe the goose) none since. 14 games total for the season. None has he played remotely well.... But his bloody opponents are carving him up. He's missing shots from 15-20m out by miles barely scraping through for a point or missing altogether.

He can't hit a teammate from 15m away, can't mark, can't break free gets run down. And plenty of times the Brothers try bring him in the game but he constantly fluffs it. I would've loved to see Knights, Turner's, Lambert's, Broderick, Weightmans etc sons playing AFL in Yellow and Black but the club deemed them not up to scratch fair enough. HTF is MRJ getting deemed up to snuff when his 4 reserves games have been equally as putrid as his seniors games?

The penny may drop and he may become a player one day. But right now he should be grateful to be even getting a reserves game and probably embarrassed to be selected for seniors cos he's making Aarts, Castagna and Mansell look like Leigh Matthews. Difference being those players are hacks but desperate and played their ass off. MRJ is coasting on his dad's coat tails. He'd wanna show up first day of preseason without the gut and maybe some muscle definition and fitness under his belt.

People were happy to lay the boots into Patty Naish, he was dominating at reserves winning BnF's and finished 4th in the Frosty Miller/ Brownlow? Whilst missing a handful of games playing seniors. Can't remember Naish getting more than 2 games on the trot then dropped. MRJ is getting gifted the entire year cos he certainly hasn't bloody earnt it.

This post is a puss-weeping mess.

Maurice has played 8 games this season, not 14.

Who are these opponents who are carving him up? Hint: if he wasn't doing his role defensively he simply would not be getting selected.

Can't hit a team-mate from 15m...but has 5 goal assists in about 7 games worth of time on ground.

Can't break free but ran bouncing the ball and evading players as recently as yesterday.

To answer your fairly dumb question about how he is getting picked....because he is the best pressure forward at the club and possibly as good as any in the competition. This is one reason why we win a lot more games when he plays than we win when he does not play.

In your world the best pressure player isn't worth as much as a rank kick chaser. You are way out of touch.

 

[tunksy]

About the 10th time I’ve said it but, play him as a mid at vfl level and let him get some touch and poise. Would do wonders for his confidence.

You want him getting handball receives and breaking lines with his run rather than his kicking. Link in the chain rather than the one dishing it off last i50

 

[tropicaltiger]

It wasn't the coach on the phone so who cares.

of course what the young fella done was wrong and disrespectful but I'm sure it's all been smoothed for now and he will become a better player for it in the washup, however just out of curiosity anyone know who was on the other end of the call my first impression is that it wasn't the senior coach probably his line coach?

 

[Lacustrus]

In the words of Pete Townsend, who the truck are you?

 

[Meteoric Rise]

About the 10th time I’ve said it but, play him as a mid at vfl level and let him get some touch and poise. Would do wonders for his confidence.

You want him getting handball receives and breaking lines with his run rather than his kicking. Link in the chain rather than the one dishing it off last i50

There is an issue with this. Of course it would be ideal for Maurice to get a run of VFL games in a less limited role. But sometimes a young player needs to play in the AFL team because he is the best available option in a certain role. When Mansell was(wrongly imo) suspended, this became the case.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Not really. A couple of still images don’t tell. The story. I did find an article and it said they weren’t even game to tell Cotch for 5-10 minutes.
I’m not saying it’s a great look, but would we be happy that he isn’t disappointed???
It’s how the coaching staff (and MRJ) handle it from here.
There is a lot of rubbish floating around in here (big surprise for Bigfooty!!), about what he is and isn’t doing.
I’m sure they would like some more output from MRJ in terms of possessions and scores, but his role (like that of Castagna previously) is also to create pressure, which he does. We don’t have a lot of other options in that department ATM.
Mansell was doing it well before he was suspended and I believe rightly at his current position had to come back through the VFL first. I expect he will come in for MRJ next week.
MRJ has had an interrupted year with injury, let’s hope he gets a good run for the rest of this year and a preseason and see how he goes next year before we give up on him.

Sure Cotch was disappointed.I have no problem with cotchs reaction.
Did he diss the coach?No
MJ didn't respect the coaches decision in a very public manner.
Inexcusable.

 

[tunksy]

There is an issue with this. Of course it would be ideal for Maurice to get a run of VFL games in a less limited role. But sometimes a young player needs to play in the AFL team because he is the best available option in a certain role. When Mansell was(wrongly imo) suspended, this became the case.

You’re spot on. He was last one standing at the time and came back in after we got thumped by the lions.

At least now we have a few more options at vfl level to play that role. Hopefully allowing jr some time in a different role.

 

[Roksman]

Let me get this straight. Because you think Maurice could beat most of his teammates in a boxing match that ...

Uh I dont even care.

This bloke is getting close to Magic areas.

He's a space cadet who values nostalgia over reality.

 

[Roksman]

People can't see the forest for the trees. The sooking is borderline irrelevant. What's not irrelevant is his form across all levels. Total of 2 goals both in round 1 (1 was a Joe the goose) none since. 14 games total for the season. None has he played remotely well.... But his bloody opponents are carving him up. He's missing shots from 15-20m out by miles barely scraping through for a point or missing altogether.

He can't hit a teammate from 15m away, can't mark, can't break free gets run down. And plenty of times the Brothers try bring him in the game but he constantly fluffs it. I would've loved to see Knights, Turner's, Lambert's, Broderick, Weightmans etc sons playing AFL in Yellow and Black but the club deemed them not up to scratch fair enough. HTF is MRJ getting deemed up to snuff when his 4 reserves games have been equally as putrid as his seniors games?

The penny may drop and he may become a player one day. But right now he should be grateful to be even getting a reserves game and probably embarrassed to be selected for seniors cos he's making Aarts, Castagna and Mansell look like Leigh Matthews. Difference being those players are hacks but desperate and played their ass off. MRJ is coasting on his dad's coat tails. He'd wanna show up first day of preseason without the gut and maybe some muscle definition and fitness under his belt.

People were happy to lay the boots into Patty Naish, he was dominating at reserves winning BnF's and finished 4th in the Frosty Miller/ Brownlow? Whilst missing a handful of games playing seniors. Can't remember Naish getting more than 2 games on the trot then dropped. MRJ is getting gifted the entire year cos he certainly hasn't bloody earnt it.

This this and this.

He's petulant act is ridiculous because actually a very very poor footballer and not AFL standard.

The amount of people who somehow rate him would be chasing him with pitchforks if he was a no name player.

He can't even kick a footy ffs.

 

[Tygrys]

Imagine if he was sitting there after getting subbed and was laughing and joking around. I'm willing to bet the exact people on here potting him for being visibly upset would be potting him for not caring enough about his performance

At that point then it goes beyond the players actual actions and speaks more to certain poster's hang ups

It certainly didn't help David Warner smiling when he failed twice to Stuart Broad in Headingley. Being Broad's bunny is bad enough, but smiling? So yeah I'd take anger and frustration over indifference, or worse still treating it as some sort of joke any day.

 

[shaky]

of course what the young fella done was wrong and disrespectful but I'm sure it's all been smoothed for now and he will become a better player for it in the washup, however just out of curiosity anyone know who was on the other end of the call my first impression is that it wasn't the senior coach probably his line coach?

Not sure, but Mini said in the presser that it wasn’t him, so imagine it must have been one of the assistants.
I think the coaches actually got it wrong. The kid is going to be pissed at being subbed at isn’t going to listen to any feedback at that time.
Let him stew for a bit, enjoy the song at the end of the match, then sit with him and discuss why he was subbed.
This whole thing wouldn’t be an issue if it wasn’t caught on camera. Perhaps something the whole playing group and coaches can learn from.